By Richard Gardner, Torch specialist

"Two words: public relations. That's it. I do not feel any sense of responsibility for anyone of whatever their age is who has passed along and has bad habits and overdoses for drugs. Sorry, I don't feel any responsibility for that."

-- Vince McMahon when asked about why he implemented the WWE Wellness Policy in an interview by Oversight and Government Reform Committee investigators, December 14, 2007.

WWE recently took the unexpected step of banning chair shots to the head, referencing this explicitly in an updated version of their Wellness Policy. The decision is long overdue, and will improve conditions for wrestlers significantly without having a detrimental effect on the WWE product.

The timing of the decision is no surprise, as Linda McMahon is facing a bitter battle for Republican nomination. WWE has already attempted to eliminate blood from their broadcasts, as Linda McMahon's opponents could use violent footage as a weapon in their campaign. But the ruling on chair shots is long overdue, and much more important than the ban on blood.

Former WWE wrestler Chris Nowinski has done some excellent research on the effects of head injuries, after a concussion prematurely ended his career. As well as identifying concussions as a factor in the deaths of several former NFL players, his research also revealed that Chris Benoit sustained a number of concussions throughout his career that could have lead to dementia. The weight of evidence that supports a ban upon headshots makes it surprising that WWE has taken this long to implement a ban, but this is a heavily politicized decision.

Linda McMahon was formerly asked ten questions by Rob Simmons, her rival in the Republican race, in an effort to seek information on WWE's approach to safeguard the health of their employees. Despite the fact that she is no longer on WWE's board of directors, the lack of regard that WWE has shown for their employees's welfare is coming back to haunt McMahon in the form of some seriously awkward questions. She has yet to respond to Simmons's request directly, but the explicit ban on chair shots is just the latest measure to clean up the company.

There is no reason for chair shots to the head in this day and age; wrestling is a work after all. The days in which wrestlers caused permanent damage to their bodies every Monday night are over, and for good reason. It is hazardous enough to complete a brutal schedule of matches, without risking ones health through unprotected blows to the head.

At a pure business level, WWE's wrestlers are assets, which will be in a better position to make money for the company the more that their welfare is protected. The next measure is a reduction in the WWE schedule to prolong the careers of their stars. It is another potentially dangerous factor in working for WWE, which has opened up Linda McMahon for more attacks from her political opponents.

The ban on chair shots to the head may amount to good public relations precipitated by political factors, but regardless of the motive, any decision that could have a positive effect upon the life expectancy of WWE wrestlers should be applauded.

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